Spurgeon: February PM
* 02/14/PM
"She was healed immediately."
--Luke 8:47
One of the most touching and teaching of the Saviour's
miracles is before us to-night. The woman was very ignorant. She
imagined that virtue came out of Christ by a law of necessity,
without His knowledge or direct will. Moreover, she was a
stranger to the generosity of Jesus' character, or she would not
have gone behind to steal the cure which He was so ready to
bestow. Misery should always place itself right in the face of
mercy. Had she known the love of Jesus' heart, she would have
said, "I have but to put myself where He can see me--His
omniscience will teach Him my case, and His love at once will
work my cure." We admire her faith, but we marvel at her
ignorance. After she had obtained the cure, she rejoiced with
trembling: glad was she that the divine virtue had wrought a
marvel in her; but she feared lest Christ should retract the
blessing, and put a negative upon the grant of His grace: little
did she comprehend the fulness of His love! We have not so
clear a view of Him as we could wish; we know not the heights
and depths of His love; but we know of a surety that He is too
good to withdraw from a trembling soul the gift which it has
been able to obtain. But here is the marvel of it: little as
was her knowledge, her faith, because it was real faith, saved
her, and saved her at once. There was no tedious delay--faith's
miracle was instantaneous. If we have faith as a grain of
mustard seed, salvation is our present and eternal possession.
If in the list of the Lord's children we are written as the
feeblest of the family, yet, being heirs through faith, no
power, human or devilish, can eject us from salvation. If we
dare not lean our heads upon His bosom with John, yet if we can
venture in the press behind Him, and touch the hem of his
garment, we are made whole. Courage, timid one! thy faith hath
saved thee; go in peace. " Being justified by faith, we have
peace with God."